A new beginning: Kerala's Cherai temple allows male devotees to wear upper clothes

KOCHI: Amid the ongoing debate over restrictions on men covering their upper torsos while entering temples, Gowreeswara Temple in Cherai has ended the age-old practice.
Sivagiri Mutt president Swami Sathchidananda issued the proclamation, marking the end of this custom at the temple on the opening day of its 12-day festival, which began on Tuesday. Led by Swami Sathchidananda, male devotees wearing upper garments, mainly shirts, entered the temple, where saint and social reformer Sree Narayana Guru installed the idol in the early 20th century, and offered prayers.
In an exclusive conversation with TOI, Swami Sathchidananda said the suggestion he made at Sivagiri Mutt before CM Pinarayi Vijayan had sparked varied reactions in society. Both the CM and devaswom minister VN Vasavan supported his proposal, he said.

Entering the temple with upper-body clothing does not diminish the idol’s divinity. Instead, it enhances it by fostering unity among devotees,” Swami said.
“Such traditions do not align with modern values, leading many young men to avoid temples... In this age, young men do not even leave their rooms without wearing upper clothing, let alone publicly remove it. This even leads them to withdraw from the belief in God, pushing them towards alcohol, drugs and other vices,” he said.
Meanwhile, KK Parameswaran, president of Vigyana Vardhini Sabha, which manages the temple, said devotees had welcomed the deci- sion and that the practice should be gradually discontinued across temples in the state.
Referring to a 2017 remark by now Union minister Suresh Gopi, in which he expressed a desire to be “reborn as a Brahmin”, Parameswaran said Brahmanism was resurging in society and must be opposed. “Even Swami’s recommendation on upper garments faced strong resistance from these forces,” he said.